Patent GB-405031-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to record-controlled multiplying machines
IPC: G06F7/46
Filed: 1932-07-29
Abstract: 405,031. Statistical apparatus. BRITISH TABULATING MACHINE CO., Ltd., Victoria House, Vernon Place, Southampton Row, London. July 29, 1932, No. 21488. Convention date, Aug. 1, 1931. Addition to 307,025, [Class 106 (i), Calculating &c.]. [Class 106 (i).] A record - controlled machine of the type described in the parent Specification having means for entering and obtaining the product of two numbers from a perforated record card and recording the result on the card is modified in such a manner that the product of a series of numbers by a common rate may be obtained on successive operations each product being recorded separately. For this purpose the resetting means associated with the multiplier or rate register is operable under the control of the rate record card to reset that register immediately prior to the reading of a new rate card. The machine described includes a cycle controlling means for limiting the number of cycles necessary to obtain a product, a translator mechanism for introducing a third number or its complement into the computation whereby expressions of the form (aŒb)c may be evaluated, a mechanism for obtaining separately a record of this sum or difference and the product, means for reversing the connections to the registers for the purpose of effecting a checking operation, a summation register for receiving the total of the several products, and a correcting means for approximating to the nearest significant figure. General arrangement.-The machine embodies a card feed and reading section, a punching section, registers MC, MP, Fig. 31, for the multiplicand and multiplier, a translator mechanism or counter IVC, a summation accumulator SP, left and right hand component partial product accumulators LH, RH, Figs. 31 and 31a, a cycle controlling mechanism CT, a number of impulse emitters, and a number of multiplier plates or panels connected in multiplying circuits in a manner similar to that described in Specification 358,105. Driving mechanism.-A constantly running motor M drives a shaft 51 and an A.C. generator 52 with a D.C. take-off section. The shaft 51 is geared to a vertical shaft 54 which drives the shafts 56, 56b of the various units in the upper and lower sections. These shafts are connected by a Geneva drive mechanism 59, 60 to the reset shafts 63, 63a, 63b and a cam 65. Card feed. The shaft 56 through gearing drives one element of a single revolution clutch loose on a bush on a shaft 75, Figs. 3 and 4, the other element of which is secured to the shaft the parts being coupled by the release of a pawl on energizing the clutch magnet 506. The gearing drives feed rolls 82 and drag rolls 85 so that when the clutch is operative the card is carried through the feed rolls around a transferring cylinder 87 to the drag rolls 85. The card is held in contact with the cylinder 87 by spring-pressed rolls 94, 95 of insulating material driven by gearing from a wheel on the cylinder. At the same time a shaft 93 is operated to drive a group of cams FC one revolution per card cycle. The shaft 75 has secured thereto a box cam co-operating with a follower to rock a shaft 102 geared to a picker block 104. During one card feed cycle a card is advanced to an " X " hole reading station constituted by a brush 106 and contact plate 107 and during the next cycle the card is traversed under the main reading brushes 109 and co-operates with card lever contacts 112, 113. After the reading operation the card is advanced to a tray 118 in the punching section and operates contacts 119. Punching mechanism. This mechanism is generally similar to that described in Specification 362,529, [Group VIII], and is provided with a separate driving motor M2, Figs. 4 and 7a, adapted to operate a clutch to drive a shaft 155 geared to a card feed rack 151, the return movement of which is utilised to drive a card carriage rack 152 through a shaft 188 whereby the card is traversed through the punching section. Movement of the rack 152 is controlled by an escapement mechanism 195, Fig. 12, and a replaceable notched skip bar 196 to regulate and select the column shift movement of the card. The selection of the punches is under the control of keys 203 or electromagnets and operation is effected by energizing an electro-magnet 205. The carriage rack 152 carries a bridge brush 214 which co-operates with a conducting strip 213 and insulated contact studs 212 plug connected to the accumulator LH. After the card has been punched a known form of ejector 237 is effected to discharge the card. Associated with the punching mechanism and ejector are a number of circuit controlling contacts 233, 234, 246a, 246b, 247, 248, 248a and 249. The contacts 249, Fig. 61d, serve to ensure the completion of the punching action once it has been started. Registers and accumulating devices. These mechanisms are of the customary type in tabulating machines as described in Specification 131,277, [Class 106 (i), Calculating &c.], and shown in Fig. 29. The accumulators LH and RH each comprise two sections connected by a known form of transfer device. The reading-out commutators for the accumulator RH is shown diagrammatical in Fig. 46 with conducting studs 401 common to two sets of brushes 402, 403 and respective conducting segments 404, 405, the various studs being connected by transverse bus bars. The arrangement of the reading-out commutators for the accumulator LH and the multiplicand register MC is shown in Fig. 49, the units clutch gear train 426 drives brushes 427U, 430U co-operating with studs and segments 428, 429, 432, 431 respectively. With the studs.432 co-operates a pair of brushes 430T driven from the tens wheel and co-operating with a common segment 433. In the cross wiring connections for the register MC the studs 428 are connected to the corresponding studs 435 and the studs 432 to the corresponding studs in the thousands bank. For the accumulator LH ten studs are provided instead of nine and these are connected as described above. In the register MP the reading-out commutators are connected as shown in Fig. 43, the units gear train driving brushes 412U, 415U, co-operating with segments 414, 417, the brush 415U co-operating with a single stud 416 at the zero position. The tens gear train drives brushes 415T, 412T co-operating with the single stud 416 and the individual studs 420 and the segments 419, 421. Transverse wiring connects the alternate rows of studs 413, 420, and the zero segments 416, &c. The translator counter IVC has reading-out commutators arranged as shown in Fig. 52 the units denomination has conducting studs 444, 446 connected by wiring 453 as shown and segments 443, 445 co-operating with brushes 442U, 444U driven from the units gear train. The tens train drives a brush 444T co-operating with a segment 449 and studs 450 while the hundreds train drives a brush 444H which co-operates with a segment 452 and the studs 450. A simple transverse wiring connects the corresponding studs of the higher denominations. The reset mechanisms for the several registers and accumulators are similar the drive shafts being coupled to the mechanism through a clutch 262, 264, Fig. 13, controlled by a latch 267 of a corresponding electromagnet 268. Impulse emitters and control contacts. The emitters are formed in two groups shown in Figs. 62 and 63. The group 281-283 is composed of conducting segments 289 and eleven conducting studs with brushes 290 driven by gearing 291 connected to the drive shaft 56. The group 284-287 is formed with the parts 286, 287 similar to the first group but the parts 284, 285 have conducting studs only the brushes being interconnected by a conductor 292. The reset shafts 63b of the registers MP, MC have cams for operating contacts 296, 297, Fig. 61d and 298, Fig. 61a, respectively. The accumulators RH, LH, and the translator IVC have supplementary contacts with two or three blades as shown in Figs. 57 to 60 the blades being operated by a respective bail member 300 on a shaft 301 provided with a latch 302 co-operating with the armature of a corresponding electromagnet 304, 305, 306, or 307. Cycle controller.-In order to eliminate unnecessary cycles in computations involving a zero in the multiplier a controller is provided with a column shift mechanism to enter the partial products into the proper denomination. The controller shown in Figs. 20, 21 and 23, comprises a number of electromagnets 311 and a master electromagnet 312 the magnets 311 being de-energized if a significant figure appears in the multiplier. The lower drive shaft 56b drives a ratchet wheel 315 and disposed adjacent the ratchet wheel are relatively movable discs 316, 317 interconnected by pin, slot and spring means 321. The discs have oppositely disposed ratchet teeth and are normally held against shift by a dog 325 and a pawl 326. The discs are also interconnected by means of a link 318 and dog 319 which is normally prevented from engaging the ratchet wheel 315 by a stop arm 323 engaged by a plunger 322. At the proper time in the cycle a cam 327 on the shaft 56b co-operates with a roller on the dog 325 to free the disc 317 which, if the plunger 322 is withdrawn, rotates to allow the dog 319 to engage and be driven by the ratchet wheel 315 until the stop member meets the plunger 329 of the next magnet 311. When this magnet is energized its armature is released from a notch in the plunger 329 and a spring 333 pushes the plunger out and the disc assembly will again advance and this operation will be repeated successively. The energising of a magnet 311 opens contacts 335 and closes contacts 334. At the end of the cycle controlling operation a pin 337 on the disc 316 engages in turn bell cranks 336 in order to restore the plungers 322, 329 and relatch the armatures thereto. The intermittent controlled movement of the disc assembly is utilised to effect column shift by the shaft 339 of the disc 316 through gear